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Photo (c)
Simone
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Alberobello and its Trulli
Alberobello is quite far south in Italy, close to Bari, and this part
of Italy isn't on the itinerary of most tourists.
The landscape close to Alberobello is quite beautiful, filled with olive groves,
vineyards, and stone-walled fields and of course the occasional trulli in
the fields.
There are about 1000 trulli outside of the town of Alberobello
itself.
Seldom do you see just one lonely "trullo" by itself. (When you have more
than one "trullo" they are called "trulli").
As a family grows so does their
tiny one room house. A new "trullo" is nestled right up beside the first
one, naturally, with an opening made in their common wall to connect the
two.
Later, if the family wants even more room, it's simple, just add
another one, then another, each with its very own pointy headed roof.
Some
have also added lofts under their roofs.
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Quite a few trulli have been turned into small shops for the tourist trade. It's
nice to go inside a few of them as you get a chance to see the trulli on the
inside as well.
There are of course the usual souvenir shops, but there are
a lot of little shops that display the handicrafts of the local artisans.
Others offer the wines, jams and all kinds of foods that are specialties of
the region. The trullo in the picture above has been turned into a bar
(Italian Coffee house).
Trulli's roofs and symbols.
There are a few types of symbols you can find on the roofs :
"primitive" for they constitute remains of ancient cults that were celebrated
in the "woods".
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A Bar in a trullo
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Photo (c)
Simone
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A second group of symbols are defined "magic" because they're bound to
astrologic signs imported by ancient oriental cultures.
And symbols like this one.
They are the most common and numerous symbols.
They go from a simple cross to Christ's monogram; from the symbols of the
Passion of the Lord, to the initials of the "Santi Patroni" (protector
Saints); from the eucharistic chalise to the signs of the monastic orders.
It's fascinating to watch all these little details, and see all the differences
between the trulli. None of them is the same.
But besides the symbols, there is something else on the roofs that makes every
trulli unique from the other : the pinnacle.
Pinnacles are made of hand-worked stone and they stand out so clearly
because they are white-washed.
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According to some people the pinnacles represent the constructor's
signature. Any constructor, indeed, gives it his own signature shape.
According to some experts, Pinnacles join the cult of the sacred stones, or
also a representation of the primitive huts' stake cross; some claim that
there's a symbolic meaning in the pinnacles, as in the paintings on the
cupola.
Where does the architecture come from?
A good guess is that the name trullo comes from the Greek tholos, the name
for a conical-shaped, domed tomb, such as those earliest ones found at
Mycenae, (i.e., Agammemnon's tomb) and in Crete, dating from the early
Bronze Age. Similar domed tombs of later eras are to be found all through
the Mediterranean world, including Southern Italy.
The story I like best is the one suggestion is that the origin of the trulli had
to do with outwitting Ferdinand I of Aragon.
This king had prohibited the Apulians from building permanent dwellings because he wanted to be able to
move the labor force around as he chose.
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Photo (c)
Simone
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Trulli in the old center
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The clever Apulians thus
constructed houses that could be dismantled when they spotted the king's
agents.
Another theory suggests that during Spanish rule, a tax was levied on
individual homes, except for unfurnished homes, for which the trulli
qualified when their roofs were removed. Hahaha, could be true... people do
a lot to avoid paying taxes, LOL
A logical explanation is this one : The limestone, a calcareous rock found in
abundant stratification throughout the region, is easily separated into thin
layers that can readily be shaped into crude bricks that don't require
mortar when re-layered. The dome design allows heat to rise, slightly cooling
the living space, a significant factor in the region's brutal summer.
Given
that the area has long been impoverished, perhaps the design is nothing but
good old ingenuity, a means of cheaply constructing homes and businesses
with the materials at hand.
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Ostuni
Not far from Alberobello is the city of Ostuni. The "white city" of Ostuni is
built above the green terraced fields.
The city is such a beautiful sight
from a distance. It is sitting up on the top of three neighboring hills,
and all the houses are perfectly whitewashed.
I know I was in Italy,
otherwise I would never believe it. It doesn't look Italian to me at all!
Ostuni is the main city of the pre-Roman Messapii tribe, and its compactness
is reminiscent of a Greek town - as is its name which comes from the ancient
Greek "Astunion" meaning "new fortress".
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Ostuni -
Photo (c)
Simone
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How to get there
I went by car to Alberobello, and it's not that hard to find. Head south of
Bari on S100 and then east (signposted) on S172. Just outside the tourist
area you'll find lots of parking spaces, for which you have to pay though. I
can't remember how much anymore, but I don't think it was that cheap.
You can also go by train to Alberobello. FSE trains leave Bari every hour
(every 2 hr. on Sundays) heading to Alberobello. The trip takes about 1 3/4
hours and costs 6 euro . To find the trulli, follow Via Mazzini, which turns
into Via Garibaldi, until you reach Piazza del Popolo. Turn left on Largo
Martellotta, which will take you to the edge of the popular tourist area.
Text courtesy and (c) of
Simone
(c) 1997-2008 E. Massetti
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